American Reacts to US vs UK Family Differences

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In this video I react to US vs UK family differences. American and British families are very different, but share a lot of similarities as well. What do you think are the main differences between US and UK families?
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• 5 Ways British and Ame...
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[@lottie2525]

It's so funny that you know the square footage of your houses in the US. I'm guessing most of us in the UK don't have a clue. We just go by the number of rooms and how big those are.

[@saxon-mt5by]

And what's included in the square footage? Do you include passages and corridors, stairs, 'walk-in closets', garages, outside porches, detached barns, or just the major rooms?

[@SerenitySoonish]

​@@saxon-mt5byI think the sq ft is the entire property including land? Or maybe just here in Australia they do that. If it's only the house listed then it's the whole floor space so yeah even closets etc would count. I also have no idea how people know the sq metres/ft unless they just bought it maybe 😅 we usually say 3 bed, 2 bath etc unless you're talking about land if it's an acreage

[@SerenitySoonish]

​@@saxon-mt5byoh I just looked it up and apparently in America it's any indoor liveable space. So garages, patios etc no but stairs yes. Even though I've known maybe people who lived in a garage but I'm guessing in colder countries that's less feasible 😂

[@chixma7011]

If it’s a big family get-together, beyond what can be comfortably accommodated at home, we would probably all meet up at the pub with a tab running behind the bar, or else book a function room in a hotel or maybe rent the local community centre for the evening. This can apply for birthdays, weddings or wakes. One excellent evening celebration I went to was catered for by means of an enormous curry takeaway delivered to the village cricket pavilion. Plenty of room, large tables available and distant enough from local residents to be able to make some noise. 😊

[@catbevis1644]

My rooms are described as "you know that room we were in the other day? My bedroom's about 1.5 times that", or "my kitchen is about a third the size of yours". That's my limit on estimating room sizes 😂

[@stetrainer578]

It annoys me that we now have proms at school. The UK is being Americanized more and more. In my day we just had a school disco and a crap dj 😂

[@susanashcroft2674]

We didn't even have a disco. When we left school at 16 we walked out of the door and that was it. I can't stand seeing little children of nursery age 'graduating' with their mortar boards and capes before going to primary school. Cute to some but IMO so un necessary and another money spinning opportunity for retailers.

[@anthonykearney608]

crap dj playing 'i got do do do push the apple shake the tree' lol

[@claregale9011]

​@@anthonykearney608push pineapple 😅. I remember that .

[@stetrainer578]

@@claregale9011 grind coffee. To the left to the right 🤣🤣 a classic. Do you remember the superman one ? Comb your hair, hitch a ride, superman..... ha ha

[@Elflord73]

Don't diss DJ Chris.

[@tedroper9195]

Pass the parcel is a classic British party game in which a parcel is passed from one person to another. In preparation for the game, a prize is wrapped in a large number of layers of wrapping paper. During the game, music is played as the parcel is passed around. Whoever is holding the parcel when the music is stopped removes one layer of wrapping and claims any prize found under that layer. The music is then restarted and the game continues until every layer is removed and the main prize claimed.

[@UKMessi1]

yeah it was like a Christmas game

[@tomhazzard538]

The game was so rigged, never did get the main prize. :|

[@stetrainer578]

​@@tomhazzard538yeah whoever's birthday it was usually got the main prize the rest of us end up with a little pack of Parma violets or flying saucers 😂😂

[@CinobiteReacts]

@@stetrainer578 I can't stand Parma violets 🤢🤢🤮🤮

[@lottie2525]

We added either sweets or a forfeits in the layers. Things like 'sit on a balloon until it bursts' or 'pretend to be a monkey' that kind of thing.

[@Phiyedough]

I think rewarding children for something they all do, like completing elementary school or high school, tends to devalue the whole concept of reward. In UK you have to put in a lot of work to be a graduate as you will have done a bachelors, masters or doctorate degree.

[@nen1811]

Reward is an assigned value. I don't think rewarding kids for doing good at school is a bad idea at all, it encourages them to actually do good because there are physical benefits at the end of it - whereas without the reward, all you get are grades that... don't see a whole lot of use except from applying for higher/further education.

[@HeatherMyfanwyTylerGreey]

Thoroughly agree! If all the youngsters who cannot name USA states or any country outside the USA, even Mexico and Canada, are true examples of American education the Graduation Ceremony has truly been devalued, indeed.

[@nen1811]

@@HeatherMyfanwyTylerGreey Here's the kicker: They're not.

[@tonygreenfield7820]

We dont take college sports seriously. College and University is for learning. Sports and societies are for relaxation and a break from study. In my experiance, British parents are invested in their kids doing well in school but it is expected that they will try. Making it some big event and having graduation ceremonies while still in school seems very odd. You get your exam results and if they were good (as expected) you get a modest well done. Maybe if you really exceeded expectations there might be a more emotional reaction but its commonly a "well done son" and if you are lucky your Dad slips you a £5.00.....

[@claregale9011]

My mum would say just do your best that's all you can do , I say the same to mine. Not healthy to pile on so much pressure at a young age .

[@SeanSenior-f8b]

I would say to my kids use your strength. Improve your weakness. Wether it be intellectual or practical or both. Always ask questions. Take opportunity's. Never think you can't do the task in hand. Never give up.

[@dentrout9383]

I kinda like that; sounds wholesome. I'm an American from a town. We had those ideals too but sometimes ideals don't work. Sadly 🙏

[@steveaga4683]

In the UK, you graduate FROM university - with a DEGREE! Everything prior to that is just moving on through!

[@kimarnill7648]

No Steve, I love your videos. But pleeeeeeeese no more Lawrence from across the pond . The man hasn’t lived in the U.K. for decades. You probably know more about the U.K. than this silly man 👨.

[@aidencox790]

Wish I could be as kind to the "across the pond" man but have to say sorry, where I come from up north (near Newcastle on Tyne he'd be called a right plonker, or if you're a Brummie then he'd be a right twonk. May be a nice guy but he's definitely lost in the pond !!

[@Rachel_M_]

​@@aidencox790i am a Brummie by birth and can confirm you are correct

[@cookeymonster83]

And he’s soooooo boring.

[@kimarnill7648]

@@aidencox790 I’m from Wales and twonk is very polite but it does start with a T .😁

[@DebraElias-uc6yz]

Totally agree 100 per cent

[@adrianrussell1476]

The main reason that most uk families are not multi generational is the smaller size of our houses. We simply don’t have the rooms available to accommodate other family members. Some houses have a large enough plot to build a ‘granny annex’ but they are in the minority. If you have an average family of two parents and two kids of different sexes, requiring separate bedrooms, then that is all the average three bedroomed uk house can accommodate.

[@justcomments]

Some of my neighbours have realised in their old age that they can’t stand their little grandchildren for long enough to live together 😂

[@debs4013]

In UK families tend to live in the same area, so they see each other more often. Americans live in different states from their families, so hence maybe more get togethers. Education is more important than sports in UK, sports tend to be recreational. We also don’t tend to have big party’s, but maybe have dinner together or a take-away night with family.

[@susanstahl3336]

They have big get together at homes as in restraunts you are limited on time, we in the UK tend to meet in pubs or restraunts, but are not hurried out, when we finished our meals.

[@kimtopp5984]

We have seven grownup children and sixteen grandchildren who all live within a 15 miles radius…..

[@SeanSenior-f8b]

My gran was my best friend. She was ace. Very kind, cheeky. She would cook, bake. Visiting markets all over West Yorkshire England. Always cheered me up. My grandma Beanland.

[@dzzope]

On the eating with a fork in left hand.. dont flip it to scoop, pick up things by stabbing something like meat or veg and then use your knife to press softer items against the prongs but with the stabbed piece helping to stop it falling off.. Pass the parcel is like musical chairs but with a present wrapped multiple times. Music stops, open, repeat till someone gets the present.

[@philjones6054]

Pass the parcel was a game involving a heavily wrapped up present. The idea was that music was played as each child passed the parcel from one to the next. When the music stopped, the child holding the parcel got to remove one layer of wrapping, and this continued until the last wrapper was removed by the lucky child who got to keep the present.

[@HeatherMyfanwyTylerGreey]

Sometimes there would be a sweetie or a small value coin between each layer or a small toy for instance spider, toy soldier, so no-one got nothing.

[@moonshinepz]

We keep the knife in our right hand when eating in case a Frenchman turns up to try and take our dinner.

[@jmillar71110]

Alot of these just depend on the family. Im Scottish and we use any excuse to get together, especially during the summer if its good weather😂! I just use "Gran" and "Grandad" for my grandparents but my son calls his grandparents "Nannie" and "Di" (Di is most definitely regional though as only used in Fife where I'm from). Usually call my parents either "Maw/Mither" and "Paw/Fither" xx

[@sheenamaclean8324]

I just posted an almost identical comment, even before reading yours; lol.

[@moyaterry8493]

My maternal grandmother lived with us on our farm when I was little and I feel like I benefited from that so much. My parents didn’t really go out socialising but it just taught me more about family and what’s important 😊

[@pamelamitchell8789]

Maybe its because of the UK benefits system, help for families with housing, free medical treatment , our state schools being good ( going to private/ paid for school pretty rare ) and weekly financial help etc from the government, we don't need to rely on family in times of crisis.

[@karenthomas5358]

Sports and activities are for fun and enjoyment, some are competitive. The aim is for kids to enjoy and meet up with friends not so much for excellence. You always get one family that takes it to seriously.

[@cellevangiel5973]

A short explanation on eating with fork and knife. The knife in your right hand does most of the work. The fork is only there to bring the food to your mouth. To do that with your left hand is not so difficult. Just keep practicing and you find it far more logical.

[@johnfairhurstReviews]

Pass the parcel is a party game. As it sounds like something has been wrapped up in multiple layers of (usually) newspaper. I've heard some people will put sweets, or other little presents in each layer, but the children are sat in a circle and the parcel is passed round as music is played. When that's stopped at a random moment, the child holding the parcel gets to remove as much of the covering as possible until the music starts once more.

[@themusiqfreak]

to add to this there is usually some sort of etiquette involved... each child is usually given an opportunity to take a turn unwrapping esp if there are sweets or something in each layer. Sometimes it's not perceived as good manners to have the 'main' present in the middle go to the party holder, it should end up going to a guest. However in that instance whatever is the 'main' present shouldn't be of superior quality than actual birthday gifts that'll be given to the child whose party it is.

[@Sophie.S..]

Hi Steve, I wish you had recorded your trying to eat the British way - I could do with a good laugh🤣

[@NatSatFat]

Interesting words for Grandparents! just want to confuse you a bit more, Welsh is also spoken in Britain, Mam-Gu (Gu is pronounced Gee) for nanny and Tad-cu ( cu is pronounced kee) for grandad can be heard in South Wales while in North Wales, nanny is Nain and the word for grandad is Taid.

[@HeatherMyfanwyTylerGreey]

I am glad someone put this, thank you.

[@chixma7011]

I obviously misheard when I was little because I always called my grandfather Backy. It was assumed by others that he was a smoker, but that wasn’t it. And then I saw the Welsh subtitles on a TV drama just a few years ago and saw Tadcu. That was when the penny dropped that I’d been saying it wrong for ever! My grandfather died many years ago and I’m in my 70s now but I guess you’re never too old to learn something new! 😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@scotthiggins112]

@@chixma7011😂

[@birmingham2066]

Hi Steve , My wife and myself are blessed that our 3 year old 4 in a couple of months time grandson only lives 2 miles away we have him for 2 half days every week while his Mum is at work and we also have him over night maybe once a month while his Mum and Dad have a date night we are known to him as Nanny & Granddad

[@crzynites6754]

growing up in the UK we had to learn how to eat this way, it is something that was taught now as an adult its just second nature.... as they say practice makes perfect....pass the parcel is a game where all the children sit in a circle & a wrapped parcel with many layers of wrappers is passed around, each layer of wrapping has a little bag of sweets in it, we play music as the parcel is passed around & when the music stops the person who has the parcel gets to take the first wrapper off & gets their sweets, then the music is back on & the parcel continues to be passed around till the msic is stopped again & so on, parents work the music so every child gets a chance at taking the wrapper off & getting some sweets..

[@rhilou32]

Pass the Parcel is a game where a gift is wrapped up in many many layers of wrapping paper. Between some layers of wrapping, there might be smaller gifts / candy. All kids sit in a circle, and music plays, and they pass this gift around the circle. When the music stops, the kid who has the parcel opens ONE layer of wrapping, and can keep whatever small gift falls out of the wrapping (if any). The "winner" is the kid that gets to unwrap the last layer, and therefore wins the "big prize".

[@timglennon6814]

Large family gatherings in the U.K. depends on the the family. Some do, some don’t.

[@AutoAlligator]

I couldn't think of anything worse than a large family gathering tbh...maybe having a tooth pulled...

[@lisam2808]

Yeah, Unlike this guy in the vid, all our large family gatherings were in rented venues, some family members would be given lodgings for the night or stay in hotels. I don't think his family is all that LARGE tbh :')

[@lylukk]

yep, ive got a pretty small family. there was only ever 1 big family party for my gran and grandpas golden wedding anniversary. other than that you'd occasionally have 1 or 2 family members over at a time

[@kerrydoutch5104]

Aussie here same as UK. Our kids are encouraged to go to university but its not the be all end all. If its not their thing they can go to a trade school to get trade or hospitality qualifications or whatever else they choose. School sports isnt a thing. Its played between teams at the school or sometimes with other schools and parents or families watch and taxi them to and from games. Same at university but families usually dont go. So local sports fields dont cater for crowds. Its just sport No big deal. And we only graduate from university. Theres no ceremony leaving primary/elementary school or high school. You just finish. Usually a formal dance and dinner at the end of high school.

[@faithpearlgenied-a5517]

We tend to live a lot closer to each other and see each other often so there's no need for massive get togethers. Just Christmas and funerals.

[@myiridescentlovecandleco.5399]

Hey so pass the parcel is where you wrap a gift in several pieces of wrapping paper. You then sit in a circle and pass it to the next person whilst music plays. When the music stops, you unwrap one layer and so on so forth. The person to unwrap the last layer wins the gift. It causes lots of tantrums and children shouting, " it was my go!" 😂 He's generally right about family gatherings but we do tend to have more gatherings in the summer in the form of bbqs, as soon as the sun comes out there are lots of people "coming out of hibernation," running to the shops to buy disposable bbqs and all the trimmings. More often than not, we get rained off though 🤷‍♀️ No idea where the term mom comes from, but I call my mother mom. Much love 💜 xxx

[@catbevis1644]

"Mum" just fits into our pattern of speech better I think... "Mom" is a bit of an effort to pronounce in my accent at least. In the north they generally say "Mam" instead (not ma'am), it's just dialectal. With grandparents- I did know a kid who referred to his grandmother as "Gran-shee", and to be honest she deserved to have a name that rhymed with banshee. Apart from generally having smaller houses, I guess one of the reasons we don't have large family get-togethers is because we live on a much smaller land mass, so it doesn't necessarily need to be a special occasion to see people as more family live within an easily driveable day trip distance (I know this isn't true for everyone, just more likely in the UK than USA).

[@CinobiteReacts]

So how does the family gathering thing work in the US? My experience with Americans is that they very easily move away, often to states on the other side of the country. In the UK, you'll get families that live in the same town for generations - even hundreds of years! When I worked in MA, I met kids who now live in WA, CA etc!

[@dianeknight4839]

The parcel is made up by the parent. It is usually a small toy or candy, wrapped in several layers of paper and tape. The children sit in a circle, music is played and the parcel is passed around. Each time the music stops whoever has possession of the parcel takes off a layer. The parcel keeps going until one lucky child has the parcel at its final layer. Musical chairs is another popular party game.

[@janetagbugblah8127]

14:00 It goes as far as sports day once year at school! There are amateur sports clubs that kids can choose to join for example football on a Saturday morning, karate and judo classes. I have noticed proms are creeping in to the British culture, at the end of junior school and at the end of high school!

[@Be-Es---___]

Bread and games are an old Roman method to keep the people from revolting.

[@lisam2808]

Pass the Parcel is game where you wrap a gift/prize in multiple layers of gift wrap, play music, pass the parcel around and every time the music stops, the kid it stops on takes off a layer of gift wrap until the gift/prize is won.

[@princessliz6201]

For me growing up, Christmas was the main gathering time, Christmas day with mums side of the family, boxing day with my dad's side of the family. Sometimes my Auntie would do something one day before new years eve so Christmas celebrations were spread out more. Another occasion of family get together was Grand National day (horseracing event) usually watched on TV.

[@ashedarke]

This guy, not Steve, is properly channeling Alan Partridge 😂

[@peterjackson4763]

My father's father died before I was born. We called his mother gran. We called my mother's father taid and her mother nain. They were welsh. My gran lived a quarter of a mile away so frequently baby sat. The only graduations I had were for degrees. I played a sport for my school - chess. We had no spectators ever, even when we played a team with a famous player (Nigel Short). But no other school sports would have spectators either. Only the teams would care. It was pretty much the same at university level, though some graduates might pay attention to the main rugby and cricket matches, and then there was the BIG exception - the Boat Race. That is the annual match between Oxford and Cambridge. That is covered on national TV every year. It gets more coverage than the top international rowing competitions, People line the banks and bridges of the Thames to watch it, including people with no connection to the universities. (I went to Cambridge.)

[@lyndapotter8591]

My mum's grandkids referred to her as Nanny little legs, as she was only 5' tall.

[@christinepreston8642]

I wonder if the number of graduations is that a childs age in the US in said as a grade year instead of their actual age, so its a group birthday party! Lawrence always cites his experience as ones whole nations have, and his UK experiences are just localised memories from over a decade ago!

[@naomiwest7556]

I've noticed following a lot of American channels, that when you're talking about your partner, a lot of you say he or she here in the UK we say their names, it's considered rude to say he or she if talking about friends and family. When I was young I had 2 sets of grandparents, they were Nan and Grandad. Nan said she didn't want to be called nanny because she wasn't a nurse or a female goat. My Great grandmother we called Gran

[@dentrout9383]

Friday Night Lights. All my aunts and uncles + mom were from the neighboring town and were our rivals. I love it. I am so blessed by Our' Father in Heaven to have been sent to this great country!

[@dianeknight4839]

All the variations of Mum,Mom etc are based on the word Ma'am (pronounced marm) when speaking with our Queen you would call her Mam (rhymes with Jam), this is how we refer to our Mother in the North of England. Mom and Mum are variants of the original. In the UK children are not steered to out of school activities but allowed to find them for themselves. Parents support their choices. The same with religion, we do not force our beliefs on our children.

[@themusiqfreak]

Nan/Nanny are fairly common. I'm not sure of the etymology but I've never known Mom to be used in the UK it's always been Mum. Some northern/Irish might use Mam/Mammy instead. Graduation and Sports in schools are no big deal really, you might get a school leavers party when moving from school to school up the education system but that's just for the kids and not attended by immediate family let alone any extended family. Even a University graduation is only expected that the parents attend, they might chose to celebrate further after but that's up to the family and how big of an occasion they wish to make it.

[@keithcolley5559]

I've lived for the whole of my 73+ years of life in the Black Country area of the English West Midlands. Here, and in the surrounding areas, the usual informal word used for Mother is (as in the USA) 'Mom' and in Northern parts of the country, and I think Wales, 'Mam' is used. Because it's used in the South of England, Mum is the default word - all birthday cards etc., have Mum on them, and kids in this area, will often write Mum but say it as 'Mom'. I don't know, but I suspect that the different pronunciations arose from the great vowel shift.

[@faithpearlgenied-a5517]

Same :) I always type mum online now even though I say and write mom, because I got sick of having to explain to other British people that I'm not American and in some parts of England we use 'mom'. Where do they think the Americans got it from lol.

[@denniswilliams160]

I've often wondered if 'mum' comes from mother being pronounced as 'mutha' and 'mom' because of the spelling of mother.

[@KSmeaton1]

My grandparents were always just around the corner, like literally 10-20 minute drive, so we always saw at weekends and so on. Especially my maternal grandmother. This was before myself, mother and siblings moved further north. Eventually my maternal grandmother followed us lol. I never knew my maternal grandfather sadly, he passed a few days before I was born. As of now I only have my paternal grandfather who lives south in London, while I live up north in Newcastle. May not see eachother often now, but always have a good ol' chinwag on the phone.

[@0KiteEatingTree0]

Families in the UK differ depending on upbringing and wealth, and to some degree background and local culture. I was brought up in what I now know to be a middle class, but fairly privileged family with parents of differing political views, but shared ethical views. My education was a mix of private (paid for) and state If I'd come from a poorer family I'd probably have grown up in a small council flat , in a London block, possibly with fewer or more siblings.. (and they are SMALL). And wouldn't have the views or University education I've achieved today.

[@mumo9413]

Extra curricular activities cost a fortune here in the UK. Being in the Northern Hemisphere we only have a few months of light nights. Indoor sports are more popular if you can afford it! Our kids get homework from school every night, from every subject. They're not given time for extra curricular activities. We can get fined as parents if our kids don't do school work or the kids get penalised. Its ridiculous!

[@wyatt0003]

A very interesting video! Here is the info regarding the word Mum/Mom In terms of recorded usage of related words in English, mama is from 1707, mum is from 1823, mummy in this sense from 1839, mommy 1844, momma 1852, and mom 1867!

[@kryztofwarzecha6247]

Unless your from Wales or Newcastle you would say mam

[@richardlambert8406]

When I was a kid, we had a Barbeque (akin to an American style) and/or Sunday Roast pretty much every weekend, yet it was just us (my mom, dad and me) and sometimes family' friends (who lived in the same neighbourhood, basically across the road)... I never have had and have never even seen 15+ people in one house celebrating someone's birthday. Usually, you have a quick "Congrats minute", let's call it this way, whenever other people (in school, at work, etc) see you :)

[@timglennon6814]

American kids never play Pass the Parcel at birthday parties? Pass the Parcel is where the parents who’s kids birthday it is buys a a cheap toy or something like a colouring book and coloured felt tips pens or pencil crayons, wrap them up in several layers of paper, normally around 8 to 10 layers of paper. The kids at the party all sit in a circle and the birthday kid starts off with the parcel, then one of the parents plays a song that the kids know and then the parcel gets passed around, then the parent stops the music randomly and the kid who has the parcel in there hands can take one layer of paper off, and then you start the music again and carry on until one kid wins the prize in the parcel. My mum used to put a small piece of candy under each layer.

[@EtherealSunset]

Christmas and kid's parties sounds right to me. Normally people will just visit individual households, not a big multi-household get together.

[@LucyLeaf]

Most people in England would say dad. Never heard anyone call their father My Old Man.

[@Bridget410]

During the game, music is played as the parcel is passed around. Whoever is holding the parcel when the music is stopped removes one layer of wrapping and claims any prize found under that layer. The music is then restarted and the game continues until every layer is removed and the main prize claimed.

[@vicdeviking6356]

Mom, Mum, Mam and Ma are all commonly used across UK, but all very regional.

[@faithpearlgenied-a5517]

We say mom where I live in the West Midlands and I've now started typing mum online because of how many British people have no idea that mom is originally British and still used here too. So many would accuse me of being American or trying to be like an American lol. So weird. I got sick of teaching them about their own country so just started using mum even though it feels so unnatural. Where do they think the US got mom from!

[@vicdeviking6356]

@@faithpearlgenied-a5517 Yes I do exactly the same, coming from Wolverhampton, now living in Dudley.

[@saucygibbon56]

The Mom/Mum is probably just the pronunciation. A lot of places outside southern England say Mam. It is very hard to get a birthday card spelt this way.

[@harag9]

Hmm I'm outside of southern england (yorkshire here) and say Mum.

[@jamessykes8176]

Hi Steve, There are various thoughts about how 'mum' came about. One thought is that it is a variation of the 'momme' which was used in the 13 and 14th centuries. Another thought is that it is from 'mama'. The words got changes because of the various accents and dialects. In fact in parts of the UK 'mom' is actually used. It will be the same in America with the different languages and dialects of the first immigrants, the word 'Mum' or 'Mummy' changed to 'Mom' or 'Mommy' Incidentally when addressing members of the Royal family you initially call them by their title, if a King or Queen, Your Majesty or if a lesser Royal, your Royal Highness, thereafter you address them as 'Sir' or 'Ma am' (the'a' is short as in jam). I believe in America you call your parents 'Sir' or 'Ma am' in certain cicumstances, like when you are in trouble, also when being polite. By the way I'm a Granddad and my wife is Grandma. In the UK some people call their Grandmother 'Granny'.

[@reactingtomyroots]

You're absolutely right, especially in the south US we call our elders sir and ma am as a sign of respect. It's less likely in other parts of the US it seems. I forgot about the word 'Granny' I called my Dad's mom 'Granny' some times.

[@evelynwilson1566]

Graduation is becoming more and more common in Scotland. It's crazy. Kids are graduating nursery school now. What have they achieved - all they have to do is turn up! When I was at secondary school in the eighties, it was to be endured, even if you liked studying as I did. There was none of the sort of 'school spirit' thing, and there were no clubs. I don't remember there being much in the way of sports. In a way it was a shame because we also didn't have things like youth clubs which might have filled that gap. When I was a child, sometimes young couples would move in with one set of parents until they could get their own home, but it would be a case of living in one room, and of course there was often a baby too . Nowadays, most adult children live relatively close to parents, so grandparents helping with kids, and in turn adult children helping to look after frail parents is quite common. Big extended families staying in contact or even living in the same locality does happen, but it varies depending on the family. My family is tiny. We have cousins living about fifteen miles away who we never see. A lot of folk in Scotland call grandfathers 'pop' and I do know one youngish Grannie who is 'MeeMaw' which I think is lovely. I think a lot of Scottish folk migrated to the southern states

[@vereybowring]

Usage of the left hand will get better if you use it more regularly. Takes time for the muscle memory and hand eye coordination to build, initially you have to consciously think about what you're doing then slowly it gets better and requires no/little thought and actions becomes smoother. I am not ambidextrous but can do some tasks with either hand, usually after a few minutes trying. My father similarly used to even be able to play darts with either hand.

[@Joanna-il2ur]

I’m left handed and so is my sister. My late mother was literally ambidextrous and could write with both hands at once. She was at one point an accountant and could go down a column of figures with a pen in each hand.

[@Buneka_KY]

Re family get togethers... well, it depends on the family, really! The last BIG family gathering we had was when my grandma passed away - family is spread all over the countries, though, and getting together is an exercise in logistics! Mum and Dad is normal for parents for me (from the South of England) - I don't know anyone who calls their father "my old man!". Mum dates back to the late 16th century, as far as I know, and is likely derived from Mam. :) (And Dad dates back to the mid C16th!)

[@0KiteEatingTree0]

I can remember pass the parcel, and musical chairs as a kid, fun when your that age. But you have to remember we didn’t have the relatively new technology of the internet as a distraction, nor loads of popular chain venues, multiplex cinema or adventure venues. We did picnics, camping, seaside trips, or trips to the zoo. Now showing my ages

[@tonygreenfield7820]

I hate to say it, but if you had learned from an early age to use cutlery in the British manner, you would probably find your coordination with your left hand had generally improved and spilled over into other tasks than eating. Maybe not writing. I can just about manage to write with my left hand if my right was incapacitated but frankly even I cannot read the result....

[@claregale9011]

Get togethers are not a thing as such , we do live closer to each other and see family on a regular basis so no need for huge family gatherings . May be at wefdings and funerals you will see the whole family . My brother is 1 hour away , sister 15mins drive away , stepdad 15mins drive away . I see them at least once a week . 😊

[@AmericanDream1776]

I feel like the UK used to be how the US is now. When I speak with my Nana about her younger years she'd talk about how popular sports were and how families would watch their kids at school. She would talk about how her Mum used to bake every day and every week there would be parties at their house and they'd sing around the piano. There was also a lot more multi-generational households. So, it seems to me as if its the UK thats changed the last 50 or so years, not the US and I find it funny when Brits talk about the 'Americanisation' of the UK forgetting that the UK was just like America until 50/60 years ago.

[@asmallholdinginwales]

Pass the parcel is a gift that has lots of layers of wrapping paper when the music starts the parcel is passed from one to another when the music stops who ever is holding the parcel takes off a wrapper the game continues until the last wrapper is taken on and who ever takes it off wins the gift

[@jillybrooke29]

The origins of the word can be traced back to the Old English word "mōdor," which means "mother." Over time, the usage and meaning of "mum" has evolved, but it remains a term of endearment and respect for one's mother.

[@DebraElias-uc6yz]

HI STEVE DEBRA HERE FROM SOUTH WALES UK I am left handed and I grew up in a right handed house so I was kind of forced to use my right hand a lot as you learn as babies by copying what your parents are doing, so I can do things right handed such as use a tin opener, use a corkscrew, open jars, drink from a cup, eat right handed, basically I am a frustrated right hander, whereas I know some right handers who eat left handed with the knife in their left and the fork in the right hand. Being left handed in a right handed world I am forced by society to do things right handed. So Steve how do you think you would cope if you went to an alternative reality where everyone was left handed and you were forced to do things that way, because that is the world I live in everyday. We measure our house sizes by the amount of bedrooms they contain, so on the sakes details it may state something such as: Semi-detached, three bedroom, three reception room property in a desirable location......" I am so introverted and shy that I dread family get togethers as I hate trying to make small talk with people. So am I so glad they are few and far between with my family. Here in the UK we only have a graduation ceremony when you complete your formal education completeky by finishing University, because then you have finally stopped learning and now you can start earning, and finding your place in society properly by contributing financially to it. With family titles here in Wales my parents are Mam and Dad From mammy and daddy. Paternal grandparents were Gramma and Grampa Maternal grandparent Gran as my maternal Grandfather died when my mam was a small child. MUM comes from the wild MUMMY On that subject where does MOM derive from?, I do not understand that spelling at all.

[@faithpearlgenied-a5517]

Same, so many every day things are designed for right handed people and they don't even notice but I always do because they're always a bit more awkward for use with a left hand. I just have to adapt to use my right for a lot of things.

[@victormuckleston]

with a large family spread out over the uk, large get togethers at christmass or easter, and swapping on whos turn it was to host it. nice to see family , but glad when they have left and life gets back to normal.

[@joeasher2876]

The word mum and mom are just early vocalisations of babies. When they are learning to speak one of the first sounds they can make has very little larynx control. When they make a constant tone simply opening and closing their mouth sounds like momomomomo or mumumumumumu. In most languages mom/mum is some variant of that like maman in French, or uma in Sinhala, or ima in Aramaic. The difference in the vowel is probably due to differences in the language/accent that is spoken near the babies, which they are trying to mimic.

[@doobiedootwo3517]

Multiple graduation parties for children devalues actual graduates ( people who have achieved a degree by studying at university). I get the impression this is similar to the way your troops get medals for just about everything, medals in uk forces are very special, to be awarded a medal shows you have gone above and beyond what is expected of you.

[@petemelbourne42]

Regarding the average household size 2.6 means that for 100 households there will be 260 people. That means if you assume two adults per household there will only be two households out of three with a child, that means a shrinking population.

[@eddisstreet]

Yep, Family were a great band - Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney

[@andrewhodgkins2292]

Your memories of your family sound very similar to mine. I lived in a matriarchal family led by granny. When she died the branches kind of fell apart and meets got rarer.

[@traceys8065]

Me when I see that it’s another Lawrence video - 😣🤣 The mum/mom thing, I’m Scottish, from Glasgow and we say ma and da. Some people may say mum but I’ve always said ma.

[@wobaguk]

I dont know if its me, but I get the impression richer families in America have more children. Celebrity rich families certainly seem to have many. In the UK it seems like the richer you get, the fewer children you have.

[@Jeni10]

Steve, your left hand is useless because you don’t use it. Even a left hander can use their right hand for many things. Personally, I have played piano, typed on a manual typewriter and in recent years, on an iPad, so my left hand is used all the time, including cutlery.

[@lyndapotter8591]

In some ways my son was lucky, my son was 2 when my marriage broke down, and my mum and dad, said for us to move in with them. So he had his grandad as a male roll. And man they were so close.

[@ABirdOnTheMoon]

- We always have small houses. It is not about where you live. Even at a farm house, it is still small. I am only saying small because I am comparing them to what you think of as good size. We don't have anything like the houses you have there. I wouldn't know how to feel if my house was that big. I actually think I would be scared and less comfortable if I just have spaces to walk and waste in a house. We don't think of the house size. - We do host parties and house gathering but we do that often either outside so I would often meet my nan, cousin, friend over an afternoon tea or we will be doing an activity together. We do a lot of that every week. So, when it comes to gatherings, we have work parties, family private parties and then those parties that include friends too: birthday, promotion, gender reveal, ..etc. Most of these are not at the house though. We do a lot of "party" as in go for a nice dinner. We also have Sunday roast and usually that will be a reason for a family gathering especially if your Nan is cooking. - We don't push kids to be anything. We just let them follow their interest. We try to provide activities and then if a child wishes to do something, we focus on that. I was often told when I was young that I will have a lot of time to do things at older age. I was encouraged to play more often. I was studious too so I was excelling my grades but I was asked many times to stop and just make sure I do everything else as in play, go out with family ot friends, ... and basically "have a life". I think that is the main difference. Children there are told study/work is more important than anything else and they grow to be so work-focused.

[@gallowglass2630]

Sport is based on the club not the local high school in ireland and the UK.For example my small village in ireland will go en masse to support the gaelic football club in the county final whereas though the high school does have a gaelic football team its only considered a feeder for the local club and only immediate family students and teachers will go to those games.Basically fathers will bring their children to the local club in gaelic football ,hurling soccer and rugby ,i think its the same in britain except that it would not be hurling and gaelic football.

[@vaudevillian7]

Yeah it’s much the same

[@vaudevillian7]

I played Rugby for my school in middle/high school and we were one of the better teams in the county (more equivalent to state than US county) at the time, but nobody came to watch us play and we weren’t bothered by that in the slightest. We don’t even have stands… At primary school (elementary school) it was more likely to have parents at games (but that’s it), I played field hockey then School sports stand in for professional sports in the US. Consider here many towns will have at least one professional team, whereas the NFL has 32 for the whole US, that’s not even one per *state* - so it seems like if you want to support a team that has close ties to your local community you have to support high school and college teams - and because they feed directly into professional sports in the way they don’t in the U.K. that makes more sense than it would here. Here if a kid is good at soccer they will have trials or be scouted by a professional team, they will then play in the Under-11s team for that club for example - all of their sports development and games is done completely outside of school. But they will still likely play for the school team

[@orwellboy1958]

Oh dear, lost in the pond🤦‍♂️

[@pheenix135]

Regarding family terms- the welsh side of my family use "Bampa" for grandpa. Mine was Bampa or Bamps, my kids call my dad Bampa Kerry, and my other half (who's from Cardiff) has said that when we eventually become grandparents he's hoping to be a Bampa too. As for mum/mom, there's a Today I Found Out video on it but from what I remember the general consensus is that most words for mother come from the first consistent sound a baby makes, and this too can differ regionally. It's mum in the south but you tend to find the northerners use "mom" and the welsh "mam", I dont know about Scotland and Ireland. There's also ma and mama (the latter of which my daughter calls me, though she pronounces it 'mumma' and has spelled it like that in the past)

[@daniellelewis8171]

I'm welsh and I've heard grampy and bampy too in wales

[@charlottefarmerx]

I'm not sure how old this video is but I would say the amount of multi generational households now is much, much higher. So many adults I know have had to move with their children back to their parents house due to the cost of living crisis, and also more and more people are moving in elderly parents as they either don't want them in care homes or can't afford a decent one

[@sandrabeaumont9161]

The largest British Family that I know of and the TV covers them in a documentary program is 24. Ma and P a and 22 kids some of which have had kids themselves. The parents both work and I have no problem with what benefits they get. You get Child benefit for every child in the UK, from birth to 18.

[@michellewebster3433]

Hello love I've was born in Yorkshire I am a family of eight ihad wonderful up bringing we always had gatherings all year round . There are a lot of big families her in the UK I have different cultures in my family and we all get together often

[@susanstahl3336]

We in Wales say Mam for Mum/Mom. In Wales we say Mamgu for Grandmother. All depends on where you live.

[@sjbict]

Nan and tiad in N Wales

[@MadameFlutterbi]

Mum is a shortened version of Mummy

[@charlottefarmerx]

I think mum comes from the sound. So when we say 'mother' it sounds more like 'muh-ther' not 'moh-ther' - if that makes sense. I always called my grandmother 'nanny' which can get confusing with the type of nanny that looks after children 😂. I think 'mamaw' is adorable

[@brianbradley6744]

I am left handed but use my knife and fork normally as other prople do in the UK and as I was taught, but use my left hand for the spoon which is opposit. I write with my left and my teachers were never able to make me change.

[@frankmitchell3594]

I've never heard anyone say 'Mom' for their mother in my part of England. Many multi-generational homes in the UK are typical of south Asian families.

[@Fletchr86]

Sports and extra curricular activities aren't pushed as much in the UK or taken as seriously, they are seen as fun leisure activities, but if either of my sons want to take up anything like this when they're older you know that i'll damn well be there pushing them to enjoy it and supporting them. If kids show aptitude and really enjoy it then it can be taken a little more serious, but it isnt seen as a means to an end (in terms of a career) unless you are particularly good. If my kids try their best, thats all they can do. We don't have graduation parties or anything like that unless its for college/University - but we do obviously praise our kids and treat them, be that with money or a gift or just a day out or something.

[@JJ-of1ir]

We ask our children to eat the way we do right from the start. After a lifetime of not eating that way it was a big ask to just pick the cutlery and get on with it. I wondered if you would have a go and - if you had a problem last night - you just need to practice. That's all. We would be exactly the same if we were asked to used chop sticks, I think! Any way, it was nice of you to try!

[@dentrout9383]

6th grade is like highschool prep. It is very defined by three years before you attend highschool at the ninth grade level.

[@TheGreenhillsCyclistInRagOrder]

Eh???? Irish lass here. Here in Ireland it's the same as UK:- fork in left hand, knife in right hand. I say that felt REALLY weird and alien to you. No we don't take our school sports seriously. In Ireland, we don't have Proms or Homecomings. I would love to see you do a video on Proms & Homecomings and their importance. After the final year of Secondary School, where our kids are aged 17 - 18 yrs old, they would have a Debs, which is a night out for a meal and a dance. The men wear a tux etc., and the girls wear a long dress, go out for a meal and drink the whole night. It is not unusual to see them heading home through town and 8 am or 9am the next morning.

[@bblair2627]

Postman's knock was big at birthday parties in the 70s

[@Joanna-il2ur]

It must predate 1840, as once people had to put a stamp on a letter and people got letterboxes, postmen no longer knocked. They knocked because before stamps postage had to be paid by the recipient. The post office were largely unaware that the message was that somebody wrote to you, not what the letter was. There is a folk song called The Postman’s Knock, which humorously describes the sort of mail people in one street got. All pre stamps though, which is why the postman had to knock.

[@simonlockyear4653]

One of the biggest difference is how sport is run in US v the world. When I was growing up I played a number of sports but you are members of a team. We played at the weekend mainly with training at weekday evenings and the team was part of local league. This is better than school sports. School sports is only really there to make sure exercise is had at school and to try different sports, I did football, rugby, cricket, rounders (like softball), athletics, hockey and basketball. Being Welsh I'd say Mam or Mammy. I believe the difference comes from different languages use of the letters A and U. U is big in Anglo-Saxon but not in Welsh or some other languages I.e it's sound is different. US having many immigrants from many countries is why English has diversified from the UK.

[@MrYossarianuk]

We have big parties - often my mates kick out their wives and kids (send them back to parents for the weeknd) get the decks out and have about 30 - 40 people round for a session.

[@jameslewis2635]

There wasn't even any extra-curricular activities at the schools I went to in the UK. There aren't even any leagues for school/college sports outside of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race.

[@michaelhammond5412]

Virtually nobody in the U.K. is interested in 'College Sports '.

[@barriehull7076]

Prepare your parcel. Place a gift at the centre of the parcel. Use a small box if you want an even shape or to make it look larger than it is. Wrap as many layers as players, with some to spare in case more players turn up. The parcel should be large enough for at least a 5 minute game, so add more layers even when you have only a few players; it just means they get more turns. Start and stop music to pass the parcel around the players, when the music stops the one holding the baby, so to speak removes one layer, the music restarts and so on until the parcel box is completely revealed, therefore that is the prize for the last person standing, or sitting in this case. Another party game is Musical chairs. What are the rules for musical chairs? One less chair than players. How to Play Musical Chairs: Start the music and have the players walk clockwise in a circle around the chairs. Stop the music suddenly, and all players need to sit quickly in an empty chair. One person will be left standing without a chair, and they will be out of the game. The game is played until only one chair is left for the winner who has undoubtedly virtually assaulted the other player left at this time. What is the old timey word for chair? Etymology. From Middle English chayer, chaire, chaiere, chaere, chayre, chayere, from Old French chaiere, chaere, from Latin cathedra (“seat”), from Ancient Greek καθέδρα (kathédra), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἕδρα (hédra, “seat”). A cathedral is a church that contains the cathedra (Latin for 'seat') of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Wikipedia.

[@g-man4297]

It's good there are differences between we Brits and you American's even though we have many more similarity's than say us brits and the Japanese but I want those differences to stay, there is nothing worse in my opinion than trying to become more Americanised (NO OFFENCE) and losing your own unique culture and mannerisms as a result, the differences are good for talking points and comparisons, and of course the differences are important from our cultural identity's.

[@BrixyBrixhamite]

the "mu" part of "mum" (or "mummy") is just the phonetic start of the word "mother" , and whereas "mom" may have the same spelling as the start of "mother", phonetically speaking it is more of a change to the word. In the UK the use of "mum" probably preceeds the settling of the USA, so it is more likely "mom" is just an evolution from "mum" (as indeed "mommy" is probably adapted from "mummy"). Not sure how "dad" evolved into "pop" in the US mind :)